So for these ultra swimmers, a lot of jelly goes a long way! Broward County Sea Turtle Page. Video of a Leatherback sea turtle eating jellyfish. Read More. Shipping Schedule.
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Casey Radley. Related Posts. Read More. Sea Turtle Rescuer. Welcome to Sea Turtle Exploration. Beach Etiquette. The School Season Begins Anew. Aquarium Caring for Injured Sea Turtles. The Ghost Crab. Easy Being Green. How do leatherbacks exactly feed on jellyfish and how are they capable of doing so? As humans, we are familiar with the venom jellyfish release when stinging the enemy.
The venom comes from specialised cells called nematocysts and when made in contact with the human skin, the stung one gets could be awful and at times even fatal. Sea turtles however are reptiles, and their scales can protect them from these venoms. While these characteristics might seem like a nightmare for jellyfish they are , eating any other food other than invertebrates would likely damage their unique scissor-like jaws.
This is why it is imperative for leatherbacks to prey on jellyfish on a large scale. Furthermore, they only require 22 seconds one average to catch one jellyfish and are usually able to swallow dozens in continuity. Jellyfish exist in abundance throughout the seven seas and they are known to be resistant even in the most distressed environment.
Nonetheless, it is worth noting that there are a great resemblance and little difference between jellyfish and plastic bags for hungry sea turtles roaming the waters for food.
This simple mistake could be fatal for leatherbacks. They might be immune to jellyfish venoms, but even small pieces of plastics could cause blockage and internal injuries. In this article, I will share with you, where to visit if you enjoy diving, snorkelling, and watching sea turtles.
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